Method for cellular network based controlling of measurements by a low-capability wireless terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11044624-B2
Application number	US-201716330883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling at least one measurements by a base node of a cellular network, the base node serving at least one low-capability wireless terminal in an open connection in coverage enhancement mode, the method comprising the steps of: determining the coverage enhancement level of said wireless terminal, estimating a measurement time for carrying out said at least one measurement taking into account said coverage enhancement level, sending a measurement request message in conjunction with a suspend connection message to the wireless terminal, providing a resume indication to the wireless terminal considering said estimated measurement time, and retrieving at least one measurement response message from the wireless terminal comprising the at least one requested measurement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for controlling at least one measurement by a base node of a cellular network, the base node serving at least one low-capability wireless terminal in an open connection in coverage enhancement mode,
the method comprising the steps of:
determining a current coverage enhancement level of said wireless terminal,
estimating a measurement time for carrying out said at least one measurement based on said current coverage enhancement level,
sending a measurement request message in conjunction with a suspend connection message to the wireless terminal,
providing a resume indication to the wireless terminal considering said estimated measurement time, wherein providing said resume indication comprises transmitting a resume message to the wireless terminal after said measurement time has expired, in case only intra-frequency measurements are requested, and
retrieving at least one measurement response message from the wireless terminal comprising the at least one requested measurement.

2. Method according to claim 1 ,
further comprising reception of a stationary indication from the wireless terminal prior to setting up the connection,
wherein the base node sends an indication to the wireless terminal in conjunction with the measurement request message that indicates to the wireless terminal to allow looking up measurements carried out prior to the request for measurements.

3. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the step of estimating the measurement time further takes into account the number of frequencies to be measured by the wireless terminal.

4. Base node of a cellular network serving at least one low-capability wireless terminal in an open connection in enhanced coverage mode, wherein the base node is configured to:
receive a stationary indication from the wireless terminal prior to setting up the connection,
determine a current coverage enhancement level of said wireless terminal,
send a measurement request message in conjunction with a suspend connection message to the wireless terminal,
send an indication to the wireless terminal in conjunction with the measurement request message that indicates to the wireless terminal to allow looking up measurements carried out prior to the request for measurements,
estimate a measurement time for carrying out said at least one measurement based on said current coverage enhancement level,
provide a resume indication to the wireless terminal considering said estimated measurement time, and
retrieve at least one measurement response message from the wireless terminal comprising the at least one requested measurement.

5. Method for executing measurements by a wireless terminal operating with a base node of a cellular network, the wireless terminal being a low-capability terminal, the wireless terminal further operating in an open connection with said base node in coverage enhancement mode,
the method comprising the step of:
receiving, from the base node, (a) a request for suspending the connection, (b) a measurement request message, and (c) an estimated measurement time for carrying out at least one requested measurement determined based on a current coverage enhancement level of said wireless terminal,
suspending the connection,
determining the at least one requested measurement, wherein the step of determining the at least one requested measurement comprises looking up measurements carried out prior to the reception of the measurement request message, in case said earlier measurement has been carried out within a predetermined time limit before receiving the measurement request message,
once the estimated measurement time since suspending the connection has elapsed, resuming the connection,
transmitting at least one measurement response message comprising the at least one requested measurement, and
continuing the open connection.

6. Method according to claim 5 ,
wherein resuming the connection comprises at least one of:
sending a RACH message inducing the base node to carry out context fetching, or
reception of a resume message indicating a direct assignment of network resources from the base node.

7. Method according to claim 5 ,
wherein the step of determining the at least one requested measurement comprises measuring signals from at least one second base node different from the base node the wireless terminal is operating with.

8. Method according to claim 5 ,
wherein the looking up is carried out when the wireless terminal previously sent an indication to the cellular network indicating that it is operating stationary and the wireless terminal received an indication from the base node allowing looking up measurements.

9. Method according to claim 5 ,
further comprising that in case of carrying out a cell reselection to a second base node during the suspension period, the method further comprising the step of transmitting at least one measurement response message comprising a context identifier used by the previous base node and a base node identifier received from the previous base node.

10. Wireless terminal for operating in a cellular network comprising at least one base node, the wireless terminal being a low-capability terminal, configured to operate with the base node and maintain an open connection in coverage enhancement mode, wherein the wireless terminal is further configured to:
receive, from the base node, (a) a request for suspending the connection, (b) a measurement request message, and (c) an estimated measurement time for carrying at least one requested measurement determined based on a current coverage enhancement level of said wireless terminal,
suspend the connection,
determine the at least one requested measurement,
once the estimated measurement time since suspending the connection has elapsed, resume the connection,
transmit at least one measurement response message comprising the at least one requested measurement, wherein in case of carrying out a cell reselection to a second base node during the suspension period, the at least one measurement response message comprises a context identifier used by a previous base node and a base node identifier received from the previous base node, and
continue the open connection.

11. Method for controlling at least one measurement by a base node of a cellular network, the base node serving at least one low-capability wireless terminal in an open connection in coverage enhancement mode,
the method comprising the steps of:
determining a current coverage enhancement level of said wireless terminal,
estimating a measurement time for carrying out said at least one measurement based on said current coverage enhancement level,
sending a measurement request message in conjunction with a suspend connection message to the wireless terminal,
providing a resume indication to the wireless terminal considering said estimated measurement time, wherein said resume indication comprises sending a time indication in conjunction with the suspend connection message to the wireless terminal for starting a timer in the wireless terminal, in case inter-frequency measurements are requested, and
retrieving at least one measurement response message from the wireless terminal comprising the at least one requested measurement.

Assignees

• Gemalto M2M Gmbh
• Thales Dis Ais Deutschland Gmbh

Inventors

• Breuer Volker
• Khaliq Osaid

Classifications

• H04W74/0833

  Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access · CPC title

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04W16/18

  Network planning tools · CPC title

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title

• H04W24/10 Primary

  Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} · CPC title